7QT and every one of them about Food.

1.

On Wednesday, Lucy made her first appearance of the day at nearly 11 o'clock am and informed me that she was leaving for a party at 5. I very matter-of-factly stated that she was making dinner.

She put chili in the slow cooker and baked corn bread from scratch. Boom.

Slow cookers are awesome in the summer.

So is Lucy.

So is this Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2 that I use at the very least, bi-weekly.

2. Rather than wrap up the St. Jude's school year in some formal way, it just faded out. Still fading. Fading out. Fading out. Just fading out....

We are still watching documentaries and educational programs on Netflix all the time. Can't quit the 'flix.

Some of our favorites include

Ted Talks.

Leap Frog. Math or phonics, it doesn't matter. Jill loves the opposites, the rhyming, the counting, all the things. I only wish there were more Leap Frog shows streaming and Jill wishes there were more Netflix Leap Frog shows with the cute dogs aka Scout and Friends.

Fed Up. More on that coming up.

3.

Edmund and I watched Fed Up on the same day we watched Jamie Oliver's Ted Prize Wish: Teach Every Child About Food. Now, Edmund has sworn off soda and spouts factoids like "More people will die this year from obesity than from starvation." and points out to everyone with a pulse that the nutrition facts on any item with a barcode have a blank space when it comes to % daily value of sugar. Spooky.

Patrick was a little hot about some of the more obvious propaganda points. For example, the movie makes a point of saying that life and health insurance companies invest in Big Food companies. Patrick says that all large companies with 501k programs invest in portfolios and those portfolios will include Big Food, but not because of some nefarious partnership.

On the whole, Fed Up packaged the Sugar Is Bad For Us message along with lots of other new messages about science and diet and exercise, which is great because I was calling this "science class."

For example, exercise is NOT going to help Americans if they consume soda and processed foods. There aren't enough hours in a day to work off those calories. The Calories In, Calories Out message is ripped to shreds.

There are many sad statistics about the health and future of American children.

I had no idea how difficult it is for children to make healthy food choices in a public school setting. Jamie Oliver taught us how public school kitchens do not have cooking equipment. They only have "heating-up-processed-food-equipment."

The partnerships between fast food companies and soda companies and public schools was news to me. Horrifying news. I'm bothered that my daughter's private high school has a soda machine, but public school kids are being given junk food for free?!?

Jamie Oliver is spot on when he says that the problem is education. He wants to educate people on how to cook in their homes. He says every child should graduate "knowing how to make ten dishes that will save their lives."

5.

 Edmund cooks every day. Every single day, he starts off by making a wholesome breakfast from scratch. No cereal here, unless there is some sort of early morning crisis, like we are out of eggs.

6.

Jamie Oliver. Edmund. Both dyslexics who love to cook. I'm working out a brainstorm here. Edmund. Cooking show. YouTube. Teaching kids how to cook dishes that will save their lives.

And I can call it Science!

7. If you were 12 years old and going to make a vlog or series of YouTube videos, what kind of equipment would you need? What kind of program would you use? Asking for a friend.

Linking up with Kelly for Seven Quick Takes Friday, late per usual.

Seven Actually Quick Takes

1. Birthday Trifecta Week is over. Three birthdays, three parades, three cakes, three birthday dinners.

My feast was the best. Patrick grilled salmon (and Italian sausages because he has that thing about fish) AND he grilled avocados for this Grilled Avocado and Tomato Salad recipe from John Besh. Grilled avocado is a brand new wonderful thing that we are going to eat a lot of this summer.

2.

Edmund won't finish a book because he "doesn't like it."  I told him I finish every book I start.  His response, "You're a geek."  I said to give it to page 100, then decide.

Patrick said, "You're right."  I said, "I know.  You can't tell until page 100 if it's worth it or not."

Patrick said, "No, he's right.  You are a geek."

I get no respect.

3.  Jill adores Polly.  Worships her. And speaks to her in this weirdly deep voice, "Heh behbeh."

Heh Heh beh beh.  Heh Chubs.

Speaking of Polly, she walks. She only takes steps if no one is looking or paying attention to her. She's a baby ninja.

4. Things are gorgeous here.

Breathtaking.

Pulchritudinous.

5.

Last weekend, Lucy changed up our exterior home decor with a spot of paint. Don't you love it? I sure do.

6.

Check out our entry way now! Look at all of those hooks just waiting to be overloaded with jackets and bags.

7. Today is Prom!!!

Today is also the four hour European history test from noon to four so send up a prayer that we can get her hairs done by 11:30am. I fired up my hot rollers for a test drive last night and she's been scouring Pinterest.

Unfortunately, my Irish-dance-wig-putting-on skills are not helping me at all.

Linking up with This Ain't the Lyceum.

Have a pulchritudinous weekend! 

7QT: Car Trip Tricks and DIY Renovations

1. First things first. Someone is making me this Banana Split Icebox Cake for my birthday. Or Mother's Day. Or both. Even though they're only 3 days apart.

No Image of Banana Split Cake Until I Take a Photo Myself. Copyrights etc.

Or maybe Easter. Meg, can I make this for Easter?

My mother used to make this, way back when. It was heavenly.

2. Heads Up!

The April What We're Reading Wednesday link-up will go live this Wednesday on April 1st. No joke.

I'm going to be road-tripping it to D.C. with my brood and I look forward to reading your posts all the way there.

3.

 Remember when the older gentleman behind me at mass told me I have a blessing and a challenge?

While we are on this 12 hour journey, I have shoved a few tricks up my proverbial sleeves to entertain my *ahem* challenge.

Wikki Stix Rainbow Pak like play-doh, but cleaner, and good for mid-air use, or for making letters on a piece of cardboard.

Little Cuties Activity Tin. Magnets. Cutie pets. Lots of teeny tiny pieces to keep little hands occupied.

Magnetic MightyMind. Jill loves Mighty Mind. Plus, the box says it "makes kids smarter!" My set is not magnetic, but I can retrofit it with MightyMind Magnetic Design Tray & Tile Magnets.

24 Creative Plastic Stencils from Highlights and a sketchbook.

Crayola Color Wonder Travel Tote No mess. Nuff said.

You could call these my five favorites, so I'm linking up with Jenna @ Call Her Happy.

4. You know there will be some movie watching in the car.

To see my Holy Week movie picks, go here and here.

5. But I myself am a bookish person and so I have stocked up on audio books of a historical nature.

Ben Hur (Radio Theatre) abridged and performed by Focus on the Family's Radio Theater because Holy Week.

The rest of my choices are all U.S.A./D.C. related.

Betsy Ross: The American Flag and Life in a Young America by Ryan Randolph. It's only an hour. I think even Jill can handle that.

Hana's Suitcase - A True Story by Karen Levine because the Holocaust Museum is on my to-do list.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman - which we've already started listening too. You'd think you'd need to see the photos, but you don't. In any case, I have the book too for reference.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin - see my review here.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson because Ford's Theater is in D.C.

Did you know that Laura Hillenbrand edited her epic story of Louie Zamperini? Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive is abridged for younger, sensitive readers (such as myself ;)).

I found these comments from an Amazon reviewer encouraging:

As a middle school librarian, I wanted to share this unbelievable, inspirational tale, but the more graphic & violent scenes in the adult version were disturbing and overwhelming.
Laura Hillenbrand has taken out some of those more graphically violent parts of her adult version, but still communicated the depravity and inhumane treatment of Allied POW's by the Japanese.

Edmund is especially excited about Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive because he and Peter saw the movie.

6. Challenger Jill will play games on my phone too. Thank you Jesus.

She uses cheap-o noise blocker AUVIO® Kid's Headphones that have been surprisingly durable.

I won't deny that she plays Disney Princess Palace Pets and the free Princess Maker Dress Up game, but mostly she plays Starfall.

She's done Starfall ABCs so much, she knows all the letters and sounds. She also loves Starfall Learn To Read, Starfall Numbers and Starfall FREE which is nursery rhymes and fairy tales, seasons, shapes,colors, etc.

I did pay $35 for unlimited access to all of the Starfall content. It has been worth every peaceful penny.

7. Lots of beautiful changes around here.

Remember this hideous china cabinet?

Peter made it beautiful with leftover wall paint and new hardware and we had the room painted. Lighter and brighter, baby!

Then, I made some DIY Pottery Barn-esque white cotton drapes using twin flat sheets, curtain ring with clips and and extra-long special-order oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod.

We hung the rod high and wide so that when the curtains are open, not on square inch of sunlight is blocked. Also, it makes the room look huge. Cathedral like.  Not bad for an afternoon's work.

I have read about people transforming their front hall closets. With eight, sometimes nine people in the house, not counting guests, my coat closet is at capacity.

I convinced Patrick to build me this (even though he said it's my worst idea ever), upon which we will hang many hooks.  Squee!

Linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

Have a blessed Easter with much candy!

7QT: March Madness

1. Susan's Prom Planning Meeting

"Mom, you haven't blogged about me in a while. Are you going to blog about me soon?"

This email went out to all the seniors at Susan's school:

Hello Senior Board Members,
This Friday, February 27th, we are having a Prom planning meeting.  You hopefully saw the flier John and Emma handed out.  This is not mandatory, so if you cannot make it no worries.  If you are planning to be here, please RSVP to this email.
Its very important that you RSVP, so please reply to this if you are coming!
Thanks,
Mrs. S
Mrs. R
Mrs. C

This email from an unknown party followed soon after:

Change of plans the meeting will be changed from this Friday to this Thursday the 26th. Please try to make this change fit your schedules accordingly and sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for all you do 

See, one of the email addresses was entered incorrectly, so Mrs. S had to clear up matters:

Ignore this last email.  It from a wrong email address for Emma.  Don't know who it went to...someone who is being obnoxious, that's for sure!!!!!!!!!!!

But she forgot to remove "Evan" from the email thread:

With the new material that was dropped on me this morning it is absolutely imperative that all of you are in attendance this Thursday. If you absolutely can not make it please email me and let me know. Again I apologize for the inconvenience... If it is any consolation Max has volunteered to bring in a lovely vegetable tray and deli platter for us to snack on as we will be in this meeting for the long haul Thursday night. Thanks again!

Personally, I think Susan should ask "Evan" to the Prom. Alas, the meeting was on Friday and he and his deli platter did not show.

2. Painting Furniture.

Is it still "in"?

Because I have a china cabinet that I loathe and rather than buy a new one, I think I could paint it to look like this one.

Or this one.

Or this.

I figure if Ethan Allen is still doing it, it's gotta be "on trend."


3. Springfield, where our governors make our license plates.

We're planning a day trip to Springfield this month.  We've done it before awhile back.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is incredible. You walk through Abe's parents' log cabin, Mary Todd Lincoln's White House, and you go into the Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater.

We haven't done the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library before, but I've heard the exhibits there are terrific as well.

We also need to visit Lincoln's tomb.  The one that was nearly robbed by carpet baggers who were trying to re-start the war. And his house from when he was an attorney.

4.

As usual, we are doing some larnin' to prep for this excursion. We've been reading lots of books about Lincoln including Abraham Lincoln by the D'Aulaires, and Russell Freedman's Lincoln: A Photobiography.

We are also going to watch Daniel Day Lewis's Lincoln movie as well as The History Channel documentary: Stealing Lincoln's Body.

5. When we get to Springfield, I surely hope to eat a horseshoe. Or at least a pony shoe.

That would be a hamburger on Texas toast covered with french fries and smothered in cheese sauce.

Don't be judging.

6.  Thorntons be hitting all the capitals this year. (Capitols are the buildings, capitals are the cities.)

Peter, Susan, and Lucy

We are very fortunate to have relatives who love us enough to take All of us into their home every now and then for Easter. We love all of them and always have a crazy-wonderful time.

I spoke with Mr. McFeely about the recent passing of Fred Rogers at this time. 

We did our nation's Capitol and egg rolling at the White House last time. It's one of the few things my older kids remember from our last trip in 2004.

Mt. Vernon with Lucy, Edmund, and Peter. Maybe I should go back to my Dharma haircut? 

We are making our lists and checking them twice. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the monuments, and the dum-dum statue are all on the itinerary.

We're reading and watching reference materials for this odyssey too. Movies like Night at the Museum and National Treasure. High brow stuff, indeed. Yes, I'm open to suggestions here. Grasping at straws.

7.  This is so bad, it's good.

Let It Go - The Sacrament of Confession version

Hanging with Kelly's Crew for 7QT.